1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an oral hygiene tool, and more particular to a toothpick with floss, which forms in a compact structure for easy carrying and packaging.
2. Description of Related Arts
Gum disease is one of the common dental problems. Periodontal disease, especially in the early stages, is usually not painful such that many people having gum disease do not even realize it. Researchers report that the gum disease is an infection in the gums caused by the bacteria in plaque, wherein plaque and bacteria build up on and between the teeth. To prevent the gum disease, dentists always suggest having a better oral hygiene by brushing and flossing regularly. Accordingly, detritus should be removed from the teeth after a meal in order to prevent the plaque from being built-up. By removing detritus from your teeth, you can reduce the amount of plaque in your mouth.
Accordingly, toothpicks are considered as the common tool to remove detritus from the teeth, wherein the toothpick generally has one or two sharp ends to insert between teeth to pick up the detritus. Toothpick is a small elongated stick able to effectively remove detritus and plaques from the teeth and is easy to carry. In addition, the toothpicks can be contained in bunch form for packaging. However, holding a toothpick with the user's hand does not allow the user reach all necessary places in the mouth. In other words, it is hard to maneuver the toothpick towards the back of the mouth, and to clean the inside of the teeth. In particular, because of the elongated structure of the toothpick, it is inability for the toothpick to clean properly the space behind the wisdom teeth.
Floss, such as a dental floss, is an alternative tool to remove hard-to-reach plaque and/or detritus that toothpick misses. Dental floss is a thin nylon filament adapted to insert between the teeth and scrap along the teeth sides where the toothpick cannot reach. However, flosses are hard to be used. The user must wrap the floss around the middle fingers and must use the thumb to guide the floss in the right places. Therefore, many user neglect the use of floss since flossing requires more time and efforts.
Researches also report that the most effective way to remove plague is to use both toothpicks and flossing. An improved oral hygiene tool, such as floss pick, combines both the toothpick and floss in one device, wherein the floss pick generally comprises a body having a tapering end in the shape of the toothpick, and two prongs at the opposed end to hold the floss between the prongs. However, the size of floss pick is relatively large in comparison with the toothpick. Therefore, the user will carry the conventional toothpick instead of the floss pick. In addition, the length of the floss is fixed by the distance between the prongs to limit the scraping movement along the teeth sides. The flossing angle of the floss pick is also limited by the arch shaped of the body. Therefore, it is hard to maneuver the flossing angle to scrap along the teeth sides. Most importantly, the floss is normally exposed to the surroundings such that dirt and germs will being attached to the floss.